Attention all Knifemakers!.....Product dealers/retailers and/or knife makers/sharpeners/hobbyists (etc) are not permitted to insert business related text/videos/images (company/company name/product references) and/or links into your signature line, your homepage url (within the homepage profile box), within any posts, within your avatar, nor anywhere else on this site. Market research (such as asking questions regarding or referring to products/services that you make/offer for sale or posting pictures of finished projects) is prohibited. These features are reserved for supporting vendors and hobbyists.....Also, there is no need to announce to the community that you are a knifemaker unless you're trying to sell something so please refrain from sharing.
Thanks for your co-operation!

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums by donating using the link above or becoming a Supporting Member.

Etching fun!

So a friend and I (RoanRoks29, new here on the forum) had some fun with etching, and cocktails. Per Dave's instructions, we cleaned, sanded with 600 automotive sandpaper, re-cleaned and gave our knives a swim in enchant. We added our own step here and there in the form of a libation. We ended up having a few too many and started to dip almost everything in hands reach; just to see result on different steels. We both have a knack for experimenting, and don't mind learning by trial and error. So, for your pleasure, here are a few pics of the before and after. We mixed the etchant a lil milder than reccommended, 2:1 etchant to vinegar, to give us more working time. And we did do it inside, but all the window and doors were open and the fumes were totally fine.

In all, it was a great makeover that gave the blades a nice freshen-up. The damascus patterns are vibrant and have depth again. Originally I was not going to try the ink patterned Katsumi at the bottom of the second pic, or the iron cladded Tojiro petty. But the dunk became addicting and they ended up going for a swim, and I'm glad they did. I think the Katsumi came out the best of all the knives. The interesting thing about the Tojiro is the iron cladding didn't really react to the etchant, only the white steel core. Anyone qurious about etching should give it a go. It was a fun and informative project that was relatively easy. Having a friend and a beer helps too

Here are a few more pics. This is my buddy's knife that he got from Indian Etsy knife maker. It was cheap, made from 1085 and hardened around 50 from what I was told. Came totally blunt rougher than hell, seemed like more of an odd decorative piece than a could-be working knife. It's been feverishly thinned all over (still needs more) and he just cut some bevels on it. It was etched twice and sanded up to 2000 grit. Lots of work on his part. Done for learning purposes, and enjoyment at first lol. I think it looks nice, and it grew on me after seeing him beat it into submission.